Brown DLD Faculty Guides

Assessment Types and Tools

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As mentioned on the previous page, you’ll want to have a mix of both formative and summative assessments that align with your learning objectives. Having multiple formative assessments over the duration of your course can give you a more accurate picture of students’ understanding than a single assessment like a final exam or final project. In addition, formative assessments allow students to receive feedback to improve their learning before more heavily weighted assignments. To help you create your assessments, this page will provide some ideas for formative and summative assessments and list some related digital tools.


Formative Assessment Ideas

Formative Assessments Purpose Related Digital Tools
Concept map or diagram
By creating a visual representation, students must clarify their understanding of the relationships between concepts. 

Zoom Whiteboard

Google Jamboard



Entry ticket
Get students to activate their prior knowledge by asking them a question that connects to the content that is being introduced in class or at the beginning of a learning module.

Zoom Chat

Google Forms

Top Hat


Exit ticket
Assess students’ understanding of the content they learned during the module or class session. Various prompts, such as the “Connect, Extend, Challenge” protocol can be used.
Zoom Chat

Google Forms

Top Hat

Collaborative low-stakes quizzes Get students to pool and exchange their knowledge as they come to an agreement on the best answer to questions.

Top Hat

Google Forms

Canvas Quizzes


Summative Assessment Ideas

Summative Assessments Purpose Related Digital Tools
Video presentation
Students demonstrate their learning by creating a video that can then be uploaded and shared with peers and the instructor for feedback.
GoReact
Portfolio
Students curate artifacts that demonstrate their growth and learning in the course.
Google Sites
Podcast
Students create a podcast that entertains and informs as a way to demonstrate their learning. Panopto
Research poster
Students create a poster that summarizes their research and learning on a topic that can be presented online or face-to-face.
Google Slides

Learn more about effective assessment practices on Brown's Sheridan Center website.

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